Hydraulic punching and shearing systems have typically been used to manufacture components. The punching and shearing may proceed as raw materials (e.g., steel) are fed into the system and one or more tools punch and/or cut sections of raw material at predetermined locations. Each tool may have a designated operation, such as a specific punch-shape and punch-size to create various features on the component (e.g., punch holes, notches, cuts, sheared sections, etc.). Typically, raw materials for such components feed into the system on a large roll (e.g., steel) and unwind as punching and shearing operations proceed from one component to the next. The component dimensions, number of needed punches on the component, and availability of various tool types in the system dictate the number of punching processes for a given component as it propagates through the system.
The moving material may be, for example, a metallic strip material that is unwound from coiled strip stock and moved through the punching and shearing system. As the material moves through the punching and shearing system, the material may momentarily stop while various punches and cuts are made to one section of the material. If necessary, after the punching or shearing operation is complete, the material may advance and may momentarily stop again for subsequent operations (e.g., additional punches and/or cuts). If the material momentarily stops while punching and shearing operations are performed, the coiled strip stock typically continues to advance, thereby creating slack. To prevent such slack from growing to a point in which it reaches the floor and becomes scratched or otherwise damaged, a slack basin is typically constructed to accommodate large amounts of slack. At the completion of all punches and/or shearing operations of a section of material, a final cut may be made before the process begins again with another section of material from the coiled strip stock.
Components may undergo additional forming processes before and/or after the punching and shearing operations. The punching and shearing operations provide features on the components including, but not limited to, screw/bolting holes, weight reduction cuts, strengthening ribs, and interconnection locators. The complexity of each component may vary from a simple one or two punch operation, to a component requiring several punches with several different types of tools. More complex components typically require a higher number of momentary stops for various punching and shearing operations, thereby generating slack in the coil strip feeding the system.
Production stamping tools typically use hardened tool steel insert components to perform cutting, perforating, punching, and blanking operations. The cutting edges of these components (tools) require routine maintenance to keep them sharp. As these components wear, holes may get smaller than component design specifications will allow, trim dimensions change, and burrs become larger. To reduce wear and related problems, a user will perform preventative maintenance procedures on the tools. Despite a tool bed having unused and fully functional tools at adjacent index locations to the tool requiring maintenance, the operator often times must stop the system to service the broken or worn tool, thereby forcing expensive downtime for the system.
Additional processing inefficiencies may develop when the system ends one production run of a particular component design, and begins a new production run of an alternate component design. Frequently, a batch of components will be processed before the system is stopped and configured for another component of a different design. Alternate configurations may require installation of new and/or alternate tools. Typically, even if the tool bed contains all required tools for the alternate component, the alternate configuration requires new or alternate system programming including a new set of punching instructions. In some instances, an operator manually performs configuration and optimization operations to determine punching and shearing operations on a component with as few momentary stops as possible. Moreover, the operator typically attempts to determine an optimum punching and shearing process that maximizes the number of simultaneous punches and/or shearing operations at each momentary stop. While the operator may determine one such configuration that allows the component to be processed with a select few number of tools, the operator often times lacks the time necessary to attempt additional configuration permutations with remaining tools in the tool bed to find one that is optimum. An optimum configuration includes maximizing the number of punching and/or shearing operations at a minimum number of momentary stops through the system as raw material is fed therein. Such manual configuration operations, which may not be optimized, as well as a system fabricating parts with more steps than are necessary, may consume valuable productivity time that could otherwise be used for fabricating additional components.